Automatic reconfiguration device

1. A method comprising: selecting at least one of two or more possible configurations for at least one component of an entertainment system having two or more components utilizing at least one automatic reconfiguration device, wherein at least one of the two or more possible configurations is a non-operable configuration; and receiving an indication, at the at least one automatic reconfiguration device from at least one user, that a current configuration of the two or more possible configurations is an operable configuration; wherein each of the two or more possible configurations is defined by at least one or more characteristics of a communications element interconnecting the two or more components of the entertainment system and a characteristic of a desired type of content to be presented by the entertainment system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: displaying visual information to a user by way of the entertainment system so that the user may determine if the current configuration is an optimal configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting operation comprises: manually changing at least one operational state of at least one of the components of the entertainment system to a different operational state based on a given identification of available operational states.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting operation comprises: automatically changing the operational states of one or more components based on stored information indicative of the operational states of the components when the entertainment system is in the operable configuration.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: storing information indentifying a current configuration of the system as an optimal configuration.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: changing the current configuration to another of the at least two possible configurations in response to a change in at least one of the one or more characteristics of a communications element interconnecting the two or more components.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: waiting a predetermined period of time after changing the current configuration to another of the at least two possible configurations before accepting any additional command to change the current configuration, or to indicate that the current configuration is the optimal configuration.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the components comprises a multipurpose component for a local area network.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is communicated between at least two of the components via an internet connection.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting step further comprises: receiving a user input indicating at least one selection of the two or more possible configurations from a remote control device.

11. An electronic device, comprising: a communication engine configured to receive content from a content management device external to the electronic device, and to transmit the content to an external output device; and an automatic reconfiguration device configured to select an operable configuration from a plurality of configurations of a system comprising the electronic device, the content management device, and the external output device; wherein the automatic reconfiguration device selects the operable configuration by selecting a configuration of the plurality of configurations and receiving an indication from at least one user that the configuration is operable and wherein each of the configurations is defined by at least one operational characteristic of at least one of the electronic device, the content management device, and the external output device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein: the automatic reconfiguration device is configured to transfer commands to at least one of the content management device and the external output device via the communication engine to alter at least one operational characteristic of at least one of the content management device and the external output device.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein: the communication engine is configured to receive a user instruction from the external output device to initiate a reconfiguration operation to select the operable configuration.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein: the communication engine is configured to receive a second user instruction from the at least one external output device to select the operable configuration.

15. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein: The automatic reconfiguration device is configured to monitor the content received from the content management device, and to select the operable configuration based on the monitoring and the indication from the at least one user.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein: the automatic reconfiguration device is configured to receive information from the external output device indicating a status of the content as received at the external output device, and to select the operable configuration based on the information and the indication from the at least one user.

17. An electronic device, comprising: a content management engine configured to deliver content to an external output device; a communication engine configured to transmit commands to the external output device to alter at least one operational characteristic of the external output device; and an automatic reconfiguration device configured to select an operable configuration from a plurality of possible configurations of an entertainment system comprising the electronic device and the external output device; wherein the automatic reconfiguration device selects the operable configuration by selecting a configuration of the plurality of possible configurations and receiving an indication from at least one user that the configuration is operable and wherein each of the possible configurations is defined by at least one operational characteristic of at least one of the electronic device and the external output device.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein: the automatic configuration device is configured to select the operable configuration in response to data indicating that a current configuration of the entertainment system is inoperable.

19. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein: the automatic reconfiguration device is configured to select the operable configuration periodically.

20. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein: the at least one operational characteristic comprises a characteristic of a communications element coupling the electronic device with the external output device.

21. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein: the at least one operational characteristic comprises a characteristic of the content.

22. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein: the content management engine is configured to receive an instruction from a provider of the content to initiate the selection of the operable configuration.

23. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein: the communication engine is configured to receive a user instruction via the external output device to initiate the selection of the operable configuration.

24. The electronic device of claim 17 , further comprising: a user interface configured to receive a user instruction to initiate the selection of the operable configuration.

25. A method, comprising: receiving information, utilizing at least one automatic reconfiguration device, indicating a change in a characteristic of a network coupled to at least one of a plurality of components of an entertainment system, wherein the configuration of the entertainment system is defined by operational states of each of the components; in response to receiving the information, initiating a reconfiguration operation, utilizing the at least one automatic reconfiguration device, to yield an operable configuration of the entertainment system, wherein the reconfiguration operation comprises modifying at least one operational state of at least one of the components; and performing the reconfiguration operation utilizing the at least one automatic reconfiguration device, wherein the reconfiguration operation comprises at least one iteration, wherein each iteration comprises modifying at least one operational state of the at least one of the components and determining whether the configuration of the entertainment system resulting from the modification is operable based on at least one indication received from at least one user.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein: the network is configured to communicatively couple at least two of the components together.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein: the network comprises a wireless network.

28. A peripheral electronic device, comprising: a user interface configured to receive a user instruction to initiate a reconfiguration operation of an entertainment system to be performed by an automatic reconfiguration device external to the peripheral electronic device, wherein the entertainment system comprises a plurality of components, wherein each of the components comprises at least one operational state, and wherein the configuration of the entertainment system is defined by the at least one operational state of each of the components; control circuitry configured to generate a command to initiate the reconfiguration operation in response to the user instruction; and a communication interface configured to transfer the command of the automatic reconfiguration device; wherein: the user interface is configured to receive a second user instruction indicating the entertainment system is currently in an operable configuration; the control circuitry is configured to generate a second command to designate the operable configuration in response to the second user instruction; and the communication interface is configured to transfer the second command to the automatic configuration device to end performance of the reconfiguration operation.

29. The peripheral electronic device of claim 28 , wherein: the communication interface is configured to receive content from at least one component of the entertainment system; and the user interface is configured to present the content received via the communication interface to a user.

30. The peripheral electronic device of claim 28 , wherein: the user interface is configured to generate second user instructions to control presentation of content provided via at least one of the components to a user; the control circuitry is configured to generate second commands in response to the user instructions; and the communication interface is configured to transmit the second commands to the at least one of the components.

31. The peripheral electronic device of claim 28 , wherein: the communication interface comprises a wireless communication interface configured to transfer the command to the automatic reconfiguration device wirelessly.

32. A method, comprising: receiving a request originated by a user, utilizing at least one automatic reconfiguration device, to alter a configuration of an entertainment system comprising at least one component, wherein the entertainment system is configured to deliver a plurality of content types to a user, and wherein the configuration of the entertainment system is determined by at least one operational state of the at least one component; and in response to receiving the request, initiating a reconfiguration operation, utilizing the at least one automatic reconfiguration device, to yield an operable configuration of the entertainment system, wherein the reconfiguration operation comprises modifying at least one operational state of the at least one component and receiving an indication from the user indicating that the configuration of the entertainment system is operable after the modification, and wherein the reconfiguration operation alters the type of content being provided to the user.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein: the content types comprise at least one of television programs, motion pictures, musical selections, streaming video content, streaming audio content, interactive audio content, interactive video content, and textual documents.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein: modifying the at least one operational state of the at least one component comprises altering processing of content within the at least one component.